Tips from interior designer Simone Suss

The interior designer Simone Suss doesn’t do things by halves.

When she and her husband Rob, a financier, bought a dilapidated 1930s house in north London eight years ago, they decided to demolish it and rebuild a modern, four-storey property in its place. Planning approval was quickly secured, but the work was delayed and took three long years.

It was worth the wait. The finished house has a sleek, white-walled interior bursting with pops of colour. The wooden flooring was inspired by the Saatchi Gallery and there is some impressive contemporary art on show, but the creations of Izzy, 10, Charlie, eight, and Oliver, six, take pride of place.

CREDIT: INGRID RASMUSSEN

Above all, this is a family home, with a basement playroom and cinema that is perfect for weekend lounging.

Demolishing the house was a brave decision…

‘The house that originally stood here was literally the ugliest in the neighbourhood! Fortunately, the local conservation committee agreed with us, so we were given approval to knock it down and start again. What really attracted me was the plot itself, which is great. The garden is west facing, so offers beautiful light. What drew me in was that it offered space for a basement filled with natural light, so we rebuilt the house from scratch to realise my vision.’

The black- and-white hall flooring was Rob’s must-have choice, while the stairwell was positioned to spread light throughout the houseCREDIT: INGRID RASMUSSEN

How would you describe your decorating style?

‘I don’t believe in sticking to rules. Some people say you can’t mix genres, but I do, frequently combining modern and historical elements in an interesting way. I like to incorporate playful elements – whether it’s art or a piece of furniture – and unusual textiles.’

In the master bedroom, a tall headboard creates a sense of luxury, while the bedside tables were designed by SimoneCREDIT:INGRID RASMUSSEN

You’ve used strong pops of colour throughout the house. What do you think they bring?

‘Colour can affect how people feel and add interest to a space. For example, a bedroom in cool blues and greys is very calming. I especially love dark blue and have incorporated it into many interiors, including our movie room. Inky colours have become a new neutral, but you can use them in unexpected ways. We often do whole rooms in dark blue – ceilings, woodwork, everything.’

Leave a Reply

About our blog

Our agents write often to give you the latest insights on owning a home or property in the Chattanooga area.

Testimonials

I was so tired of looking on my own searching blindly and scared, this was our first home and after our first couple of meetings with Ms. Shannon Wilson I felt a huge relief that she was my agent and team-mate. Shannon was meeting us sometimes two times a week and worked with our very busy schedule. She made us her priority and was very patient in my learning experience. We are both so happy in our new home and that we met Shannon Wilson. I would like to think at the end of it all we became frie…

Christina

You sold our house! Shannon Wilson told us the things that we should have heard from our first and second realtors. Every seller needs to hear the “hard advice” that we got from Shannon Wilson. Want to sell your house? Follow her advice!
Shannon Wilson is partner with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

Richard & Susan

My husband and I had a great experience working with the Barry and Diane Evans team. They made purchasing our first home a simple and enjoyable process. We will definitely recommend them to friends and family members for their buying and selling needs. Awesome group of professionals!
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

Alison

Carolyn Limerick had answers to all our questions. She was highly professional and we would recommend Carolyn to our best friends. She dotted all the “i’s & crossed all the “t”s.
Carolyn Limerick is Partner with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

John & Deborah

We have been very please with the Barry & Diane Evans real estate team. They have been professional, efficient, courteous, low pressure and an all around pleasure to work with. We will certainly use them for future real estate needs and will have problem recommending them to friends.

David and Michele

We heard Collin was excellent to work with. He was efficient, friendly and worked at our pace. He made our FTHB (first time home buying) process so easy! Collin was always reachable, even when we had a last-minute question late at night or on the weekends.
Collin Rogers is partner with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

Colby & Meredith

My wife & I were so very pleased with the overall professional work and expertise of agents Collin Rogers and Lori Dodd, plus the financial team that moved us through a very “less than normal” deal. We would recommend Keller Williams, Collin Rogers and Lori Dodd to any family looking to purchase in the southeastern parts of Tennessee.
Collin Rogers & Lori Dodd are partners with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

Franklin & Deborah

Collin & Barry were very prompt in communicating and meeting in person. They worked around my schedule. Collin was very knowledgeable about even the smallest of details. He even went into a crawl space to help me evaluate its condition.
Collin Rogers is Partner with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

Megan

My representative, Collin Rogers, was great at guiding me to the type of property I was looking for. He had great listening skills. Collin Rogers was a complete pleasure to work with. The process of buying a house was improved by attention to using electronic media in your office and in the field.
Collin Rogers is partner with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

Thomas

This is the second home that I have bought. My first, was several years ago and it was for sale by owner. Buying my current home was the first time I have worked with a realtor. I had a good experience with Keller Williams. Collin Rogers has very friendly and professional. I would recommend Keller Williams to a friend.
Collin Rogers is Realtor Partner with Barry Evans | The Evans Group